Timeless Wisdom and Insight of John Wooden
Notes By:
Chris Iversen – Rochester RazorSharks
Before Success comes patience…When we add to our accomplishments the element of hard work over a long period of time, we’ll place a far greater value on the outcome. When we are patient, we’ll have a greater appreciation of our success
People with initiative will act when action is needed.
Criticism and correction differ, especially when it comes to methods and motives. Criticism puts someone down. Correction means I want to help.
Be slow to correct and quick to commend. No one likes correction, but we learn from it. If we commend before we correct, the person will accept the correction better. But we must listen before we correct. There is usually another side to every story. If we listen to others, they will be more apt to listen to us.
Loyalty is the fundamental quality that gets us through hard times. Will we compromise our integrity when temptation is great? Or will we remain loyal to our core beliefs and values?
If I’m prepared, perhaps my chance will come. But if I’m not primed, I’ll miss my opportunity, and it isn’t likely to come again. I have to think as if I’m only going to get one shot, so I must be ready.
Most people have a tendency to look for shortcuts or at least for the easiest way to complete any given task. If we only put a minimum effort we might get by in some situations, but in the long run we won’t fully develop the talents that lie within us.
When we are reliable, others know that they can depend on us.
Reliability takes sacrifice because of the many things that can distract us from consistency. Being there for someone means focusing on an individual or circumstance and taking on the responsibility of seeing things through.
Reliability also requires a high level of selflessness.
People can bet the farm on us and still be able to sleep at night. Reliability earns the respect of those around us.
A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example.
Purity of intention is really a reflection of the heart…the heart of a person with integrity always wants to do what’s right, once he or she is sure what “right” is.
Helping others in any way – with a smile, a nod or a pat on the back – warms the heart.
There is always great joy in learning that something you’ve said or done has been meaningful to another, especially when you do it without any thought of receiving anything in return.
The most important profession in the world is parenting. The second is teaching, and everyone is a teacher to someone.
Each one of us has a different mix of talents and a distinctive set of circumstances…if we put forward our best effort, we can consider ourselves to be successful.
Don’t measure yourself by what you accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
Friendship comes from mutual esteem and devotion. Friendship is doing for others while they are doing for you. Friendship goes both ways. …It’s based on mutual concern.
With competitive greatness, we can deliver our best when our best is needed; at the same time, we can make those around us better, too.
Resourcefulness is using our wits, proper judgment and common sense to solve problems and meet challenges… dreaming up ways to meet our goals.
If we want to succeed, we must readily adapt to circumstances as they unfold – this includes both what we cannot change and what will take some time to change.
It is easier to reach our potential when we learn the value of including others in our quest.
Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not [only] for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
…we are most likely to succeed when ambition is focused on noble and worthy purposes and outcomes rather than on goals set out of selfishness.
When our emotions dominate our actions, we make mistakes.
Patience is the ability to wait and calmly persevere.
…the outcome was merely the byproduct of preparation and hard work.
I’ve always wanted to be the best I can be. I still do, so I work at it.
Catching up leaves no room for them to do their best tomorrow. People with the philosophy of putting off and then working twice as hard cheat themselves.
No individual or team will become great without loyalty.
When we are disloyal, we compromise our character. Essentially, disloyalty is a betrayal of friendship.
I have often cautioned people that we can become great in the eyes of others, but we’ll never become successful when we compromise our character and show disloyalty toward friends or teammates.
To read more insights from John Wooden by going to a sample of one of his books on Amazon, click the link below:
Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court
The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!
There are not that many things that can replace basketball drills for working on every part of the game with each player. It is only when it does drills over and over again, works together, gets coordination and learns varied skills will a team be able to be efficient on the court.